1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a device for saddle stitching booklets. More specifically, the present invention is a device for manually saddle-stitching, or stapling, a booklet comprised of one or more folded sheets of printed material and/or binding material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of publishing, it is well known that desktop publishing has evolved to the point that any computer user has the ability to publish their own printed materials in any selected format. Once printed, the user is faced with the decisions as to how to finish the material. The selected method of binding and the format of the printed are inter-related.
For a print job of one or a few copies, it is typically most economical to format the print job for edge binding, such as with a comb binder, staples, or the like. This is due in large part to the costs associated with the necessary binding equipment. For booklet binding, however, available equipment is typically provided for mass production of booklets. Accordingly, such equipment is typically too expensive to afford for occasional use. To this extent booklets are typically “stitched” using two or more “stitches” or staples. The staples are aligned along a fold line, about which the booklet is folded. While it is possible to use a conventional stapler to accomplish booklet binding, results are inconsistent, and alignment of the staples on the fold line and in alignment with each other is difficult.
Other devices have been provided for saddle stitching a booklet, or for assisting in the finishing of a booklet that is bound by saddle stitching. Typical of the art are those devices disclosed in the following U.S. Patents and Patent Application:
Patent/Pub No.Inventor(s)/CountryIssue Date3,630,428N. M. Olney et al.Dec. 28, 19715,678,813T. Osako et al.Oct. 21, 19975,377,965B. P. Mandel et al.Jan. 3, 19952006/0071414K. Kawatsu et al.Apr. 6, 2006
In the '428 patent issued to Olney et al., what is described is now a conventional stapler manufactured by Swingline, Inc. Of interest in the present application, the '428 device is a stapling machine having a base, an anvil upon the base, an invertible magazine having a staple discharge opening and staple feeding means pivotally connected to the base, a cover overlying the magazine and pivotally connected to the base and magazine, and a cap overlying the cover and also pivotally connected to the base. The anvil is formed with chamfers on its leading and trailing edges and on its underside and provided with selectively engageable pinning and clinching portions. The magazine and associated structures are connected to the base by a pin passing through a pair of spaced ears.
Osako et al., in their '813 patent, disclose a bookbinding method for the mass production of books. The '813 method includes feeding body signatures from a plurality of body signature feeders disposed in parallel, to a conveyor below the body signature feeders and stacking the body signatures on the conveyor. The stacked body signatures are then saddle-stitched. A series of stitched portions are then glued and pressed, then glued within a cover to form a book.
Mandel et al., in their '965 patent, disclose an automatic on-line signatures booklets finisher for electronic printers. The Mandel device is provided for on-line center folding of sets of signature sheets output by a reproduction system. Signature sheets are sequentially and individually folded in a folding rollers nip as they are outputted. The nip is reversed at a position in which the opposite ends of the sheet engage the opposite sides of a closely adjacent saddle compiler to sequentially stack the folded signature sheets on the saddle compiler to form plural sheet compiled pre-folded signature sheet booklets. The signature booklets are then stapled and ejected through the same folding rollers nip to a booklet output system which may perform edge trimming and stacking of the booklets.
In their '414 application, Kawatsu et al., disclose a paper conveying apparatus for use in association with a signature booklet finishing processes, including folding, saddle stitching and for edge cutting. The apparatus includes: a first conveying section to convey the paper in a first conveyance direction; a second conveying section that includes a conveyance belt, including a conveying nail, to deflect the conveying direction of the paper and conveys the paper in a second conveyance direction, which is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of a leading edge of the paper; a stopper member for stopping and releasing a side edge portion of the paper in a width direction of the paper; and a driving section to drive both the conveyance belt and the stopper member. The driving section moves the conveying nail and/or the stopper member from an outside of a paper conveying area, to achieve a width truing operation.
The MBM Corporation (North Charleston, S.C.) manufactures a “Bookletmaker Jr.” (http://www.mbmcorp.com/finishing-product.php?id=107), which is provided for stapling and folding booklets. The Bookletmaker Jr. is provided for mass production of booklets (up to 250/hour). This device is also heavy (40 pounds), likely due to the electric motor and the roller assembly, making it inconvenient for only occasional use. Further, as noted on the referenced site, this device is not economical for the occasional user.